The Girl Who Never Was

The Girl Who Never Was 
by Skylar Dorset
The Otherworld, book one

Selkie Stewart thinks she’s a totally normal teenager growing up in Boston. Sure, her father is in an insane asylum, her mother left her on his doorstep—literally—when she was a baby, and she’s being raised by two ancient aunts who spend their time hunting gnomes in their Beacon Hill townhouse. But other than that her life is totally normal! She’s got an adventurous best friend who’s always got her back and an unrequited crush on an older boy named Ben. Just like any other teenager, right?

When Selkie goes in search of the mother she’s never known, she gets more than she bargained for. It turns out that her mother is faerie royalty, which would make Selkie a faerie princess—except for the part where her father is an ogre, which makes her only half of anything. Now, with enchantments dissolved and prophecies swinging into action, Selkie finds herself on a series of mad quests to save the people she’s always loved and a life she’s learning to love. But in a supernatural world of increasingly complex alliances and distressingly complicated deceptions, it’s so hard to know who to trust. In order to survive, Selkie realizes that the key is learning—and accepting—who she really is. (Description from Goodreads.com) 

I really liked the start of this new series.  Skylar Dorset managed to take a lot of elements of traditional faerie lore (things like Elemental magic, running water, bells, goblins and ogres) and give her world a very unique spin.  It made reading feel familiar enough to be a breeze, but also kept me riveted as new elements were introduced to Selkie's world.  

I enjoyed the characters a lot, too.  I liked Selkie and felt for her as her world spun out of control.  I felt that Ben was a great love interest and was fascinating in his own right.  My favorite character, though, was Selkie's spunky human friend, Kelsey, who ends up becoming a sidekick because she doesn't care who or what is messing with her bestie, just that Selkie's in trouble.  We ALL need a friend like that! 

I am beyond curious to see where things go in book two.  There are multiple storylines that have to be explored and a certain prophetic statement made by a psychotic mom that needs to be avoided at all costs!! An excellent start to a series I will absolutely be reading til the end. 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley 

Blog Tour - Lost in Starlight

Today, I'm happy to be part of Sherry Soule's blog tour for the first book in her new Starlight Saga, LOST IN STARLIGHT. I did the cover reveal for the book back on June 11th and I'm happy to report that the book lived up to it's very pretty cover!

Lost in Starlight 

by Sherry Soule

Starlight Saga, book one 

Publication Date: June 26, 2014

High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova.

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life....

Now, you all know me. I have always been an avid science fiction and fantasy reader.  That's why I'm so happy to report that this book is EXACTLY the type of book that I love to take to the beach for a summer read.  Fun, fast paced, and full of romance, drama, and yes...hot boy aliens.  This book has all the elements that make me want to sit down and read it all in one giant guilty pleasure sitting. 

First off, Sloane is the perfect heroine for a girl like me.  I'm not gonna lie, I love to eat.  I also love girls who can tell it like it is and give off some of that Joss Whedon-esque Buffy like sarcasm.  Sloane is a realistic, gutsy girl who happens to be a little (well, maybe a lotta) curvy and whips around those sarcastic quips like nobody's business.  I was behind her from page one.  As her life got more crazy, I just grew to like her more and more.  

...and Hayden.  *sigh* perfect beach-read hottie...

I will definitely be reading book two in the Starlight Saga and I hope that if you, like me, can't get enough fun scifi/fantasy in your life, you'll check this one out for a quick, fun read this summer. 

For more info on LOST IN STARLIGHT and Sherry Soule, you can check out these places:

Amazon 

Sherry's Blog 

Sherry's Twitter

Full disclosure: eARC received from Author for blog tour

Days of Blood and Starlight

Days of Blood and Starlight
by Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, book two

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil held a wishbone between them. And its snap split the world in two.

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living – one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel – a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world. (Description from goodreads.com)

Wow, can Laini Taylor write.  Even in a book such as this one, a usually dreaded middle book in a trilogy or series based around a war, she blows me away.  This book is dark and yet, the writing is also still breathtakingly beautiful.  Laini draws such a beautiful picture of hope still blooming when everything should be dark and beyond repair.  

The characters are intriguing and complex.  The settings are vivid and make me want to travel this world and beyond.  The interactions amongst the Seraphim and the Chimera, within themselves, and between the two tribes are compelling.  The emotional depth of the story is wonderfully explored.  

In short, I couldn't put it down and I'm greedily listening to the final book, dying to know what happens in the end.  

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley, Book purchased for personal collection

The Fifth Wave

The Fifth Wave
by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. (Description from Amazon.com)

An excellent read. This book feels real. Cassie has to deal with being alone, trying to decide if anyone can be trusted. When she realizes thatanyone could be one of them... how can she trust anyone ever again? Then Cassie meets someone that she desperately wants to trust...

Her devotion to finding and saving her brother is admirable and heartbreaking. Seeing in the alternating chapters what is happening inside the camp he's been taken to... I found myself wanting to yell through the book to the characters letting them know what was going on with each other. Though I could see where things were going most of the time, Yancey's writing still kept me on the edge of my seat.

For older readers looking for a thrilling, can't put it down type of science fiction read.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Mini Reviews: The Lost Prince and The Iron Traitor

The Lost Prince 
by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Fey, book five

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. (Description from Amazon.com) 

I liked the change-up, getting to see the Nevernever from someone else's perspective. Someone totally human.  Ethan is tough, but totally terrified inside and that made him easy to relate to and still feel like a true hero.  I loved how desperately he tries to save Kenzie from what he knows to be dangerous and I loved getting to see Meghan and Ash and PUCK (MY FAVORITE, CAN YOU TELL?) again. 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley 

The Iron Traitor 

by Julie Kagawa 

Iron Fey, book six 

Publication date: Oct. 29, 2013

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for—his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all. (description from Amazon.com) 

I love Ethan and Kenzie's relationship.  I think that they work just as well together as Meghan and Ash did.  I'm anxious to see how they cope after the events of this book... in fact, I'm desperate to see what happens next because the cliffhanger this book leaves you on... WOWZA.  

Full disclosure: Review copy received from SLJ

The Savage Fortress

The Savage Fortress
by Sarwat Chadda

After three weeks of vacation, Ash Mistry is ready to leave the heat and dust of India behind him. Then he discovers a gleaming gold arrowhead hidden in the sands---a weapon used to defeat evil King Ravana in legend.

At least, Ash is pretty sure it's only a legend . . .

But when Lord Alexander Savage comes after Ash, the legends are suddenly way too real. Savage commands an army of monstrous shapechangers called rakshasas, who want only to seize the arrowhead and restore Ravana to power. As they hunt Ash through magnificent fortresses and brutal deserts, he must learn to work with a powerful rakshasa girl named Parvati, and find the strength within himself to fight on no matter what. Because this isn't just a battle to stop the end of the world. It's a battle to stop the end of reality as we know it.

No pressure. (Description from Amazon.com)

I thought that the Indian Mythology that was the background for the story was really interesting. I had a hard time, though, because I didn't really like Ash and I couldn't connect with him as the story went on. I felt like he made bad choices a lot and that he was never really convicted about anything.  He had no clear motivations and so he waffled a lot.

I think some readers will really love the action in this book. 

It just wasn't the book for me.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Relic: The Books of Eva

Relic
by Heather Terrrell
The Books of Eva, book one

When Eva’s twin brother, Eamon, falls to his death just a few months before he is due to participate in The Testing, no one expects Eva to take his place. She’s a Maiden, slated for embroidery classes, curtseys, and soon a prestigious marriage befitting the daughter of an Aerie ruler. But Eva insists on honoring her brother by becoming a Testor. After all, she wouldn’t be the first Maiden to Test, just the first in 150 years.

Eva knows the Testing is no dance class. Gallant Testors train for their entire lives to search icy wastelands for Relics: artifacts of the corrupt civilization that existed before The Healing drowned the world. Out in the Boundary Lands, Eva must rely on every moment of the lightning-quick training she received from Lukas—her servant, a Boundary native, and her closest friend now that Eamon is gone.

But there are threats in The Testing beyond what Lukas could have prepared her for. And no one could have imagined the danger Eva unleashes when she discovers a Relic that shakes the Aerie to its core. (Description from Goodreads.com) 

This post-apocalyptic dystopia opens a new series that is both an exciting tale of self-discovery and one of great societal commentary. In Eva’s world the polar ice caps have melted and modern civilization was destroyed. Survivors turned to a simpler lifestyle, one more easily controlled by those in power. It's a cold world, both climatically and in temperament. Eva feels stifled and longs to learn more about her world, an opportunity she can't turn down once she decides to undertake The Testing.

Slowly, you get to piece together New North’s history as Eva uncovers startling revelations about her own hidden background. Deft world-building creates a believable society in an icy clime with a strong and well-rounded main character. Eva’s choices for the future left me anxious to see her tale continue in the series’ next installment. I found this to be a refreshing new addition to the dystopian field. 

Full disclosure: Review copy received from VOYA 

Never Say Die

Never Say Die 
by Will Hobbs

When the motto of your village is "never say die," you have a lot to live up to. . . .

At home in Canada's Arctic, Nick Thrasher is an accomplished Inuit hunter at fifteen. About to bring home a caribou for his ailing grandfather, Nick loses the meat to a fearsome creature never before seen in the wild. It's half grizzly, half polar bear. Experts will soon be calling it a "grolar bear."

Returning to his village, Nick receives a letter from the half brother he's never met. A former Grand Canyon river guide, Ryan Powers is now a famous wildlife photographer. He'll soon be coming to Nick's part of the world to raft the remote Firth River in search of huge herds of migrating caribou. Ryan also wants to learn what Inuit hunters are saying about climate change in the Arctic. He invites Nick to come along and help him find the caribou.

Barely down the river, disaster strikes. Nick and Ryan are both thrown into the freezing river and find themselves under a ceiling of solid ice. With nothing but the clothes on his back and the knife on his hip, Nick is up against it in a world of wolves, caribou, and grizzlies. All the while, the monstrous grolar bear stalks the land. (description from Amazon.com)

I actually enjoyed this book a lot. It was full of action and danger.  It was a book that made me look things up, but not like I was learning stuff in school, more like I was just so curious to see if the nature-related stuff was real or not.  This book made me think about how we're affecting the environment and how that will reflect back and affect us later on.  I liked how Nick stays true to his heritage, even as he thinks about the larger world.  This book was very different from what I normally read, but it was a good one! 

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan

Gold Star Review - Arclight

Arclight 
by Josin L. McQuein

The Arclight is the last refuge in a post-apocalyptic world consumed by terrifying monsters called the Fade. No one crosses the wall of light that keeps the last human survivors safe. There's nothing else left and nowhere to go. Or so they thought, until Marina, a lone teenage girl, stumbles out of the Dark.

Marina doesn't remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. And the Fade want her back. When one of them infiltrates the compound and recognizes Marina, she begins to unlock secrets she didn't even know she had. Marina knows she's an outsider in the Arclight, but she'll do anything to protect those who saved her. Whether they want her help or not. (Description from Amazon.com)

I could not put this book down (or in reality because I was listening in the car, I really, really just wanted to drive around forever and ever and ever...)!  From the opening pages, I was totally sucked into Marina's world.  McQuein's writing is very suspenseful.  Similarly to Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Marina learns things in bits and pieces as she deals with amnesia.

It's been a little while since I've come across a book that just literally sucked me in so hard that I did not want to stop reading...especially when the book ended.  I want more of Marina's journey.  I want to find out where the humans will go from here.... It's hard to describe what I want to see without giving things away, but there are characters that I'm totally intrigued to see more from and I want to jump back into this world.  

I'm giving this one a gold star for being completely fascinating.  Danger, mystery, romance, and more...in my opinion, this is a great example of post-apocalyptic science fiction! 

*I also really loved the audio book version. The narration was great.  

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile 

Redemption

Redemption 
by Veronique Launier
Hearts of Stone, book one

Aude Vanier is a sixteen-year-old rock star with a problem—stone monsters keep attacking her. And when they do, she finds herself chanting in a language she doesn’t understand.

Guillaume de Rouen has been stuck as a gargoyle on a church for the last seventy years, until Aude’s chanting releases him back to his seventeen-year-old human form.

An ancient Iroquois prophecy about the destruction of Montreal is coming true. Together, Aude and Guillaume can stop it. But Aude is the descendant of a centuries-old coven of witches—a coven that Guillaume failed to protect seventy years ago. This time, if they fail, the world will never be the same. (description from Amazon.com) 

Okay, I have to admit first thing that I am very fond of gargoyles. I love books with gargoyle characters. This stems directly from one reading the Xanth series by Piers Anthony, which brought some amazing character concepts to life for me, including Geis of the Gargoyle's, Gary Gargoyle.  That combined with my interest in art history and the beautiful stonework that exists on many historic buildings leads to a love and fascination for gargoyles and other stone creatures. 

 

I found Launier's debut book to be great conceptually.  It combined the existence of gargoyles with a very spiritual and pagan sort of witchcraft. Added to that mix is a Mohawk prophecy about the end of the world and you have a very, very intriguing sort of end of the world story.  

I really liked Aude and Guillaume as the main characters.  Aude, or as she likes to be known "Odd," is a rock princess who generally knows what she wants from life.  When her life is thrown into chaos, she very realistically goes through some stages of denial, acceptance, and general WTF?! I really liked how in some respects she was very much in charge of herself and knew what to do to handle things and in other scenarios, she accepted that she couldn't control the things happening around her.  Guillaume was able to help keep her safe and to give her a touchstone in the crazy new world she had to deal with, but he also respects that she is powerful in her own right.  At first, I didn't like jumping between their perspectives, but as I continued reading I actually found it to be a great way to see all facets of the story.  

This was a great summer read for me. Fast-paced, interesting and with a romance thrown in to boot. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the next book in the series goes... 

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Paperback Edition

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

 

A mysterious island.


An abandoned orphanage.


A strange collection of very curious photographs.



It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

(Description from Amazon.com)

While I first read this book in February 2012, I was lucky enough to be contacted by Quirk Books with the offer to review a paperback copy of the book.  Not only was it really cool to revisit the story which is built around these great creepy historical photographs (see below), but the paperback copy now has some new great things included!

The new paperback copy of the book has even more creepy photographs included, plus an author interview with Ransom Riggs... AND the first chapter of the upcoming sequel, Hollow City (expected publication date is Jan 14, 2014).  I loved getting an inside peek at how Riggs developed the story and a little hint at where it will be going.  After reading the first chapter of the new book, I can't wait to read it! 

Trust me, if you haven't checked out this book yet, you should.  This is the perfect semi-creepy, slightly magical, but still historically set realistic story for readers aged tween and up.  I guarantee you will be as sucked into the story as I was, eagerly turning the pages to find the next intriguing photographs and trying to place them into Jacob's mysterious tale.

Full disclosure: Paperback copy received for review from publisher

Hallowed

Hallowed 
by Cynthia Hand
Unearthly, book two

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. (Description from Amazon.com) 

Oh, Cynthia Hand.  I love and hate you.  Truly.  When you had Clara and Tucker have that little, "I just had to tell you I love you, but you don't have to say anything back until you're ready" moment in the first book and I got all swoony, my heart sang... And now, now... my heart is breaking epically. (*See! No official spoilers, but you KNOW that something devestating is happening!! LOL*) 

I know, realistically, that in real life there are no truly happy endings.  There are always shades of gray and that we have to know that you embrace the joy to balance out our saddest moments, but man, I felt like Clara just could not catch a break in this book! Her love life, her home life, and her destined life all took a big hit.  It was one whammy after another!! 

While not everything came as a surprise (Hand does a great job at hinting towards two big revelations without actually giving anything away), it was brilliant to see new facets of Clara's world come to light.  New aspects of the life she must lead.  AND it was great to see that Clara would actually be able to make her own choices.  That, I think, was my favorite bit... I LOVE when a character breaks out of the "I can only do what I'm destined to do..." mold.  

Let me tell you, though this book hit me in the gut emotionally, I immediately put a hold on book three. I MUST know how it all ends.  Clara's story has me well and truly hooked. 

Full disclosure: Book purchased for my Nook

This Week's Library Loot (7)

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

My Library Loot:

Cuttlefish

by Dave Freer

 

 

The Peculiar

by Stefan Bachmann

 

 

The False Prince

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

 

So, that's what I picked up at my Library this week... did you swing by yours? 

This Week's Library Loot (5)

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

 

My Library Loot:

Bitter Blood

by Rachel Caine

The Morganville Vampires, book 13

 

The Dead and Buried

by Kim Harrington

 

This is Not a Drill

by Beck McDowell

 

So, that's what I picked up at my Library this week... did you swing by yours or did the holidays keep you away?? 





Hidden

Hidden

by Sophie Jordan

Firelight, book three

 

A dangerous journey.
Shattered bonds.
Undying passion.

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted her fate long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning. . . . (description from Amazon.com)


Though I realistically knew the way that the author would end this book and I enjoyed the action and the introduction of some new dragons, I was still horribly disappointed with how the romance worked out.  It's so hard when you latch on to a character and desperately want the main character to end up with them and yet, you know that they won't...

Aside from my heartbreak, this was a very good ending to the series.  I still love how Jordan can make these books steamy and adventurous without getting too graphic! The draki are still amazingly cool and I loved how Jacinda and her sister both really figured out exactly where they needed to be in the end.

But...I'm still Team Cassian... and my heart just broke for him.

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan

A Confusion of Princes

A Confusion of Princes

by Garth Nix

 



You'd think being a Prince in a vast intergalactic empire would be about as good as it gets. Particularly when Princes are faster, smarter, and stronger than normal humans. Not to mention being mostly immortal.

But it isn't as great as it sounds. Princes need to be hard to kill—as Khemri learns the minute he becomes one—for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor, and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.

Soon Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle he meets a young woman called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself.

But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces that have very definite plans for his future. . . (description from Amazon.com)

I have to say, sadly, that I was disappointed in this book.  I LOVED all of Garth Nix's other books and so I was *super* excited when I found out this one was on its way.  I loved the premise and I thought it was going to be amazing.

Unfortunately, though the premise is indeed intriguing and I liked the setup of the book very much, I found myself completely losing interest just over halfway through. I made myself continue, though, and found the ending to be quite good.  It was sad that really it was the introduction of romance into the story that seemed to derail it for me...

I wish it could have been what I hoped.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

City of Lies

City of Lies

by Lian Tanner

The Keepers Trilogy, book two



Goldie Roth is a trained thief and a skilled liar. Along with her friend Toadspit, she's supposed to be one of the Keepers of the mysterious Museum of Dunt. But although she desperately wants to be a Keeper, she will not leave her sick parents to do so. But when Toadspit's sister Bonnie is stolen, he and Goldie are forced to follow the child-stealers to the neighboring city of Spoke. Along the way, Toadspit too is captured, and Goldie is caught up in the Festival of Lies, where every word she says means something else and no one can be trusted. There, Goldie discovers some dangerous secrets—secrets that the child-stealers will kill to protect. She will need all her skills as a thief and a liar if she is to survive and save her friends. (description from Amazon.com)

 

I have to confess, I did not quite love this book as much as I did the first in the trilogy. There were sections where I found myself just a tad confused. However, I did really enjoy the concept for this book and still found Goldie to be a fantastic main character. I think what I really missed, though, was the darkly captivating Museum of Dunt... it's such a fantastic setting and I cannot wait to follow Goldie's next adventure as she ventures deep inside...

 

This series is a really great dystopian fantasy with interesting characters and political intrigue galore. I HIGHLY recommend the first book, Museum of Thieves, and look forward to finishing the series.

 

Full disclosure: Book purchased for my own collection.

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Princess Academy: Palace of Stone

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone

by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy, book two

 



Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city is a thrill to Miri. She and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding.There, Miri also has a chance to attend school-at the Queen's Castle. But as Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting she also learns that they have some frightening plans. Torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place. (description from Amazon.com)

I am so happy that this follow-up to The Princess Academy finally came out. The first book is one of my all time favorites!  Miri is a fabulous character: loyal, smart, ambitious (but in the best way...) and true blue to the end... I was so happy to see her back.

Shannon Hale does a FABULOUS job shifting Miri into life in the royal city.  This book still features friendship, romance, and learning, plus it delves into political intrigue, danger, and above all figuring out exactly who you are as a person and where you want your life to take you. Miri finds herself embroiled in a battle for power with divided loyalties - the worst possible place.  It takes months and real life-threatening danger for her to determine exactly what the truest course is...and of course, for her to lead the charge.

Full of wisdom, wit, and heartwarming relationships, Hale has followed up a beautifully written book with a bang up sequel. I adored every minute of it!

Full disclosure: ARC received at BEA 2012/eARC received from NetGalley

The Red Umbrella

The Red Umbrella

by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

 

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl? (description from Amazon.com) 

An excellent historical fiction set in a time period, again, that I knew very little about... I vaguely knew that while Castro was in power a LOT of Cubans came to the US (thank you, Scarface, LOL), but I'd never heard about Operation Pedro Pan, which was a mission to save children from the Revolution. 

Lucy's story was heartbreaking and very realistically frightening.  She is continuously in danger in Cuba and sees things that no one should ever have to see. Then in an effort to keep her and her brother safe, Lucy's parents send them to America.  I could not imagine going to a foreign country without my parents, without knowing where I would end up, without being able to contact my parents to be assured that they were still alive, as a teen! Lucy's effort to keep her brother safe and with her is one of the bravest things I've ever read.  She truly perserveres through an immensely difficult situation to become a strong and brave young woman. 

I greatly admired the picture of family that is preeminent in this tale.  Lucy's parents are strong, involved figures, constantly putting the safety of their children first and refusing to back away from their own moral beliefs. They were excellent role models.  As were the parents in the foster family that Lucy joins.  My greatest joy in finishing this book was that Lucy and her brother essentially ended the book with two wonderful sets of parents to rely on.  It warmed my heart in a fantastic way.

Another book that I should have read much, much sooner.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

Wicked Business

Wicked Business

by Janet Evanovich

Lizzy and Diesel, book two

 



When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy and Diesel take up his twenty-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic believed by some to be infused with the power of lust. Following clues contained in a cryptic nineteenth-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences, leaving a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and spontaneous seduction. (description from Amazon.com)

Hilariousity ensues once again! I love Janet Evanovich's humor.  She is definitely one writer that can make me snort while reading her books at least once, every time!  This spin-off from the Stephanie Plum series is definitely a winner.

I love Lizzy and Diesel both...and I LURVE their chemistry.  Very oh-la-la, must fan one's self at times while reading... :)

I find this series to be so much fun, both in terms of the characters and the concept.  I love watching the effects of each of the Luxuria Stones on people in the story...seeing how the different "evils" affect their actions and even their personalities. 

If you're looking for an easy and wildly fun reading experience, give this series a shot.  The first book is Wicked Appetite.

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan